The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, image processing method, and storage medium.
Conventionally, most of image processing apparatuses that print multi-color images form an image on a recording medium using a plurality of colors of recording agents such as yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), black (K), and the like.
In a system in which such image processing apparatus and a host computer are connected, image data is normally generated on the host computer side. Hence, it is often the case that image data consisting of red (R), green (G), and blue (B) color components that can be displayed on a CRT or the like is generated, and image data in the RGB format (to be referred to as RGB data hereinafter) is transferred to the image processing apparatus side.
The image processing apparatus prints an image by the following method on the basis of the transferred RGB data.
For example, after RGB data for one page is rendered, the rendered data is batch-converted into a YMCK format. Image data in the YMCK format (to be referred to as YMCK data hereinafter) for one page undergoes processes such as compression and the like as needed, and is then stored in a memory or the like. In response to a print start command, the YMCK data is transferred to an engine unit to print an image on a recording medium.
Alternatively, RGB data transferred from the host computer is converted into YMCK data, and print data for one page is generated in units of Y, M, C, and K colors, thus printing an image.
In a conventional image processing apparatus, a method (banding) for dividing print contents for one page into a plurality of bands, and parallelly executing actual print operation on a recording medium and a print data generation process in units of bands so as to reduce the image memory size required in the print process is known.
The conventional image processing apparatus assumes that the format of input image data is either the RGB or YMCK format. Hence, an image processing apparatus which is set to receive data in the RGB format cannot directly receive image data in the YMCK format although it finally prints data in the YMCK format.